Treme puts everything into every scene. The camerawork is rich and the direction squeezes every nuance from the actors. The city's history has been painstakingly researched and effortlessly inserted into the writing. As a result, the moments-or notes-that make up this show are all that much richer, that much livelier.

Treme tells its story incredibly well, but it just may not be a story everyone wants to follow. Some will hear its music and some won't. But if you do, this could be the rare TV show that makes you dance.

I'm not saying "Treme" is necessarily in a league with "The Sopranos," "The Civil War" or even "Homicide" at its best. But the pilot moved me as those productions did--and in the world of television, that is something special.

A feast for the senses and a gritty tribute to the soul and irresistible culture of a mighty city, this series is a pungent slice of New Orleans life, set in the aftermath of Katrina. This show sings, and it cooks with all creative burners firing on high.

This is the kind of TV that viewers ask for but rarely get, driven by characters who are more than the sum of one or two qualities and who harbor depths that are revealed slowly, subtly, and authentically.

With Treme (which refers to a New Orleans neighborhood and is pronounced treh-MAY), Simon, co-creator Eric Overmyer and their team of writers (including the late, great David Mills) have proved that television as an art form cannot only rival Dickens, it can hold its own against Wagner.

Treme may lack the obvious narrative engine that the cops vs. drug dealers narrative gave "The Wire," but it's already a smart, engaging, moving and funny series, one that in many ways is more accessible than its predecessor.

If you're not enamored of jazz, Treme's extended musical interludes will play like something of a slog, and keeping track of the disparate stories is nettlesome at first. Fortunately, the talent on display--particularly Goodman, Alexander, and "Wire" alums Pierce (a New Orleans native) and Peters--is such that watching them read the phone book would be superior to much of what's on TV.

Treme, created by "Wire" mastermind David Simon, may not ultimately get to the level of those others, because it's going to take a while to sort out the characters and lay down the themes. It also looks to have a deliberate pace, and it doesn't seem to be setting up for a lot of blood-and-guts action, so it may end up attracting a more cerebral crowd.

It's all done so masterfully that by the third installment, Treme has the old-shoe feeling of a series that has been on for years, not weeks. Still, those first three episodes do move slowly, and if there's a sour note to be sounded it's that it takes awhile for the series to find its centerpoint.

Yes, Treme is a tremendous document of the period following Katrina, how it shattered not just homes and infrastructure and tourism but, most important, families. All of that is on the surface and pretty accessible.

Certainly there's nothing fussy about the almost instantly endearing Treme, which matches some of the best actors working today with characters worth the hustle you'll need to catch up with their interwoven stories.

By the third episode of the three that HBO sent, the show had begun to find a rhythm, and the sometimes sprawling narrative (which will unfold over 10 episodes in the show's first season) had begun to gel in a promising way.

I tried to watch this show wanting to lke it but just could not. I was bored and finally just gave up. I am wondering who gave it 10's andI tried to watch this show wanting to lke it but just could not. I was bored and finally just gave up. I am wondering who gave it 10's and wrote the reviews. Doesn't seem like an average television watcher to me..too well written. Maybe people that work for the show?? They have been known to do that.…Full Review »

DavidN.

Apr 21, 2010

10

Treme gets New Orleans right. Simon's wise and novelistic approach is perfectly suited to this most blessed and cursed city. Instinct, Treme gets New Orleans right. Simon's wise and novelistic approach is perfectly suited to this most blessed and cursed city. Instinct, deep research and beaucoup talent bode well for the show's future.…Full Review »

I loved "The Wire" and Simon has delivered superior TV again. He must have loved Dickens as a kid because no-one else on TV does characterI loved "The Wire" and Simon has delivered superior TV again. He must have loved Dickens as a kid because no-one else on TV does character development, or sinuous story lines better. I'm not sure just why he's so good at examining the "Black" culture in all it's rich complexities, it comes across as authentic, helped by rich dialog, and fantastic actors. Khandi Alexander blows me away! What a powerful performer. I read it was a slow mover but I was hooked early, having learned from "The Wire" that the delight comes in watching diverse characters develop. The music throws in an essential flavor that suffuses the show with energy.…Full Review »